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It has been two decades since the legendary game first launched across the Atlantic, giving players everywhere the tools to become a rock star. Not literally, though you'd be hard-pressed telling that someone who has nailed Free Bird’s four-minute instrumental break before an enthusiastic crowd of friends.

Created by Harmonix, Guitar Hero gave players a plastic guitar peripheral to match on-screen cues moving along the screen in time with the music. Every sequence corresponded to specific notes, creating the feel of a genuine performance.

The studio previously experimented with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, later purchased by Activision during the mid-2000s. Collaboratively, they established the groundwork for a surprising billion-dollar series which made a significant influence on numerous musicians included, introducing decades-old groups to a new generation of younger players.

Michael Dornbrook, former COO from the developer, recalls the initial financial challenges of licensing the recordings – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.

“We reproduced all the music since the cost was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights alone, it was nearly impossible. We failed to secure bands like the Who – the publisher was operating on a shoestring budget, and we were fairly certain it would fail. But once Guitar Hero took off, album purchases and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”

He continues: “One of the amazing things was how many mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the songs they loved. It became an intergenerational phenomenon.”

Classic Rock Gains Younger Fans

Northern Irish group the Answer included Never Too Late in the 2008 release the popular installment. Lead musician Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived classic rock back into vogue: “The game provided a larger, new demographic. Typically this had been seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title and teenagers were finding it, suddenly it became trendy. This validated the genre, and got rid of the ‘dad rock’ tag. It provided our catalog renewed popularity.”

At that time, the Answer’s debut album was still unreleased stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for AC/DC. “Their crew had on the song on the tour bus, and some of them knew us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.

Major Band Spin-offs Enduring Influence

Music's heavyweight names soon capitalised on the game's success, including bands like Aerosmith, Metallica and others starring in dedicated game editions centered around each band’s catalogue and related lore, visuals and legendary status. For example, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, reportedly to have made the group more money compared to their records. It sold more than 500,000 units in its first week, and demand for Aerosmith’s music saw an increase significantly during an era as the industry faced decline.

The series continues to inspire quick-handed fanaticism among its fans. Earlier this year, a streamer completed an impressive attempt featuring Through the Fire and Flames – an infamously tough power-metal song made popular by the game – on Clone Hero, a freeware game with similar mechanics but an array of customisation options. The song is difficult enough on expert mode, not to mention played at increased tempo and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.

“The game offers a, imaginary experience. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” says DragonForce guitarist the artist.

DragonForce previously wrapped up a successful tour when their hit appeared on Guitar Hero III, yet he explains it made them a household name. “I recall the record label informing us that our selling albums like crazy,” he shares. “Popularity surged when we next toured, and we performed right ahead of top acts on the Mayhem festival.”

In fact, the band's visibility from Guitar Hero proved so vast that it risked eclipsing all other accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in promotional material for a major film. “Previously I felt differently, but now I accept it,” he admits. “If you only listen to a single track, that's fine – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.

Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller

The best promotion, be it for cars, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it inspires a longing. Did Guitar Hero tap into that? “Precisely what our team aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “That thrill of performing as a rock star in the spotlight. From day one, the creators felt that humans have a natural human desire to create songs, and their goal was to leverage innovation to enable everyone to participate”.

Most of Guitar Hero games came out in just a five-year period from 2005 to 2010, including derivative titles such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. After that, corporate focus in plastic instruments waned, aside from a short-lived revival in 2015.

Titles such as the fan project and newer releases have maintained the scene alive, and there’s set to be something from the original publisher on the way. A new studio has begun work on their first music game. Original co-founders are both involved in advisory roles. Are gamers ready to embrace a new entry following Guitar Hero?

“Our team believed such titles might become like Madden where you can releases,” he remarks. “With abundant new music that it could be perennially popular, thus I remain optimistic. There’s no reason why it can’t persist for future fans.”